We were born in Canada and spent the better part of 38 years living abroad. In retirement we continue to enjoy the world.

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Captain’s Club Exclusive Event

When I asked Wyona to have lunch at noon sharp, Greg phoned back to remind me that the Captain’s Club Exclusive Gourmet Event was at 1:30 pm. A person can only eat so much food, and the truth is, I haven’t eaten since yesterday, and could probably go a few more days without food and not notice it. For some, the event holds interest for the drinks – but not for us. The live band from the ship played, and then the band backed up a quartet and duet that sang, songs from the musicals, or old tunes that this crowd would love. The food stations are more interesting than Red Sangragria, Santa Helena Chardonnay, Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon, Cosmopolitan, Cuba Libre, Heineken, Bud Light and O’Doul’s. No to the alcohol. Yes to the Sushi Station, the Crepe Station, the Skewered Fruit and Belgian Chocolate Station, and the Beef Tenderloin Station.

Wyona plated up a hot slice of marbled beef for Greg, and then he and Dave headed off to a lecture about the Holy Land. Moiya joined them. Wyona stayed to eat. By that time the food was closing down and although a waiter said he would bring a crepe with an orange sauce and loaded on top with strawberries, blueberries and pistachio nuts, she didn’t really believe him. The food station was gone by then; he went down ten levels to have one specially made, delivering it to her in a few minutes. She was busy writing down his name – on the last day when the customer survey is done, his name and his good deed will be written somewhere.

She knows how important it was, for on another cruise she commented on the service of one of the waiters at lunch. She met him 6 months later on another cruise and he told her that her notes about him had been passed on to him and were the first time he has ever been complimented during the lunch hour service, for that is impersonal and no one gets credit up there for their service – no tips and no one knows your name.

Wyona was making me laugh, for she likes to drink out of a nice glass in her room. But the man who cleans her state room is so tidy, that every time she frees a stemmed glass from the dining room, he finds it and takes it out of her stateroom, no matter where she hides it – behind books, under her pillow, behind the TV. His job is to remove unwanted items and he does it because he needs that gratuity she is going to pay. She can’t outsmart him on that, even if she does want a stemmed glass to drink her water out of every morning. I told her yes, I was mad when the service person took away the champagne bucket from our room. Moiya had a bottle of wine delivered as a gift and Moiya had to offload the alcohol on to Margaret. A sad day, when I am more interested in the ice container, than in the specialty drinks.

A waste, really, to send non-drinkers on a cruise. There are free drinks before dinner every night. The five of us don’t think it is worth it to go up 6 floors for a Coke or Sprite. You know the saying, youth is wasted on the young? In our case the promise of free alcohol is wasted on cruise-ship Mormons.